Feeding device.



J. HUNEKE. FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I5. 1913.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

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JOHN HUNEKE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 'AssIGNOR rro cox MULTI-MAILER. COMPANY,

or AUGUSTA, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE'.

FEEDING DEVICE.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mm.. 14, .1916' Application led March 15, 1913. Serial No. 754,465.

' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding devices,

more particularly described as devices of this class for use in connection with printing, folding or vaddressing machines, and the principal object of the invetionis Vto -provide a new and improved form of the feeding device which is simple in const-ruction and effective and efficient in operation.

Apfurther object of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism in which the vseparate she-etsI or members to be fed are .separated from the other members before being fed from a stack ofthe members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeding device of this class in which the articles to be fed are --supported upon ,a curved baseplate by which the lowermost member is-fed endvvise and parallel with the length of the plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for limiting the thickness of the article fed and for feeding a predetermined quantity of membersV at the same time.

A vstill further object of the invention is to provide improved adjustable means for accurately engaging the lowermost member or members of precisely the desired thickness.

A still further object of the invention 1s to provide improved means for engaging the lowermost member to be fed. wlth a suction For the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the con struction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, generally shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the specification but more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly cut avvay and in section, of a feeding .device constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View taken on the line l 2 2 of 1; Fig. 3 is a'detail vievv of one of the adjustable grippers; Fig. 4 is a sectional vievvl of the same taken on the line 4 4.- of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional -view of the vacuum cup and valve; Fig. 6 y

is a detail view of the vacuum valve connection; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the I gate device.

This invention comprises a curved reciprocable plate forV feeding the lowermost sheet Or pamphlet from a stack of the Same between gripping rollers and for positively separating the lowermost sheet from the other sheets or pamphlets before the lower sheet or pamphlet is fed from the stack by means of a vacuum cup device and a movable finger.

l Referring more particularly to the drawings, a frame 8 is secured to a suitable portion 9 of a machine to which the feeding device is to be applied, and supported by the cframe 8 are various parts of the feeding evlce.

The feeding device comprises a'base 1 upon which a reciprocable curved plate 11 is slidable. Supported by the frame 8 are a plurality of members 12 "which define. a magazine for containing a stack of thev sheets, pamphlets or articles to be fedi which are supported upon the plate 10.

At the forward end of the feeding device from which the sheets or pamphlets are to be fed is an adjustable bar 13,vvhich is supported in any suitable manner by theframe 8, and is preferably provided With an adjusting screw 14 by means of which the ylower end of the bar may be accurately positioned With respect to the lovvermost member to be fed, and with respectto the reciprocable plate 11. The plate .11 is formed at one corner of its forward edge with a cut-away portion 15, and adjacent the other end of the plate it is provided with perforations 16 (see also Fig. 4), and

object of this raised portion 21 is to insure that the rear edge of the loweimost sheets or fr ix'i l sheet or pamphlet may be slightly wriplrlld' or distorted so that all parts of it wilinot' lie flatly on the feeding plate 11, but-'by providingA a i'aised portion on the feeding plate the weight of the lowerm'ostsheet or pamphlet itself, or of the stack "of the same upon the lowermost sheet or pamphlet, will cause it to be compressed on the raised portion so that the feeding pin will always engage exactly the, proper amount of the sheet or pamphlet above the plate` for which it has been set.

Mounted in the frame 8 at the forward end of the magazine stack is a shaft 23I to which is secured an arm 2l having an adjustable finger 25 adapted to ysupport the stack of sheets orpamphlets in the magazine at one`corner thereof, and to be moved into and out of supporting position by the oscillation of the shaft 23. Also mounted at the forward end of the magazine and fixed with respect to the frame 8 is a shaft 26 having a recess'27 in one end to which a tubular member 28`is connected. This shaft is also prov-ided with a perforation 29 (see Fig. 5) forming a passagev from the-recess 27, and with a peripheral groove 30 extend-l ing partway around the shaft 26 in the same transverse plane with the opening 29. Freely mounted upon the shaft 26 is a valve member 31 having a passage 32 ltherein and another passage 33 communicating therewith and extending through the wallof the member through a projection 31 thereof.

Mounted upon this projection and secured thereto in any suitable manner is a vacuum cup 35 preferably composed of some flex-l ible material` suchas rubber or the like. This member 31 is so mounted with respect to the passage 29 and the groove 30 that it forms communication with the passage 29 whenin one position and with the groove 30 when in another position, and the valve member is provided with a discharge opening 36 which forms an outlet for the valve passage 32 when the latter is in communication with the groove 30. This Valve member A31 is so positioned that the vacuum cup j 35 is disposed at the corner of the magazine stack adjacent the nger 25, and the cutaway portion 15 ofthe reciprocableplate 11 is for the purpose of permitting the plate to be moved into its forward position without engaging the cup 35.

In order to cause the movement of the valve member 31 and the finger 25 the member 31 is formed with an extension 37 upon which is mounted an arm 38, and to the shaft /l "i 23 is connected anja/rm 39 and the arms 38 fiidjfconnected by a link 10. This will cause/y tlie'nfi'ng'er 25 and the valve member 3l 'to begm'f/oved in unison.

v, vIn order to effect the reciprocation of the irate 11 a drivinggear 11' is mounted in the ,rame which is driven by any suitable means', and a crank l2 isV formed integral or se- Secured thereto- Mounted in the frame S is a shaft i3 having'van aii'n il secured thereto,.and a crankshft 15 connects the crank y12 and the arm '41. .Also Secured to the shaft 43 is an arm 1G, and securedto lthe plate 11 is a block t7 to which one end of a link 48 is pivoted, the other end being pivotally connected to the ai'm lf3. SecuredV to the frame 3 is a fluid pressure cylinder 49t'o one end of which the tubular member 28 is connected. A trunk piston 50 is movable in the cylinder and mounted upon the sli'aft43 is an. aiui 51 which is connected t0 the trunk piston by means of a piston rod Movable with the gear 11 is a cam 53, and pivotally mountedadjacent the cam is a bell crank 51 upon one arm of which is an anti-friction roller in Contact with the cam surface The other arm of the bell cci-'ank is pivotally connected to one end of a link 56, and the valve member 31 is formed with a projecting arm 57 which is pivotally connected to the other end of the link 56. The antifriction roller rides on the cam surface 53 and the movement imparted to Ithe bell crank causes the valve member 31A and the finger 25 to be moved in accordance therewith. The rotation of the gear l1 also effects the reciprocationof the plate 1 1 and the movement of the pist-on 50 in the cvlinder 49 which causes the air to be drawn in through the cup member 35 and-expelled through valve 61 and a partial vacuum to be formed in the cup when the lowermost sheet oli pamphlet is in contact therewith.

In order to more accurately gage the thickness of the sheets or pamphlets discharged from the magazine a block 62 is mounted on a bracket 63, a portion of the block being directly below the adjustable bar 13, and the upper face of the block is beveled about the edges. When this block is applied to a machine having a curved plate 11, it 'is preferably disposed at the central or lowermost pai-t of the plate. The edge of the sheets or pamphlets are supported bv the block 62 slightly above the level of the plate 11 at this point, the height of theblock insuring that the sheets or pamphlets will always be compressed at this point even if the edge of the sheet is` tween it and the block as the plate 11 is reciprocated and since the sheets are compressed at this place only a predetermined number can be admitted between the block and the gate. This reciprocable plate 11 is preferably formed withan opening 64 in the edge thereof which fits around the block when the plate is at the forward end of its stroke so that the members in -the magazine will always be compressed and supported by the block 62.

The mechanism by means/of which a sheet or pamphlet is drawn from beneath the stack after one end of the same has been advanced by means of the feeding plate 11, consists of rollers 58 and 59 which may be driven in any desired or suitable manner, as

' for example, by geared connection with the driving gear 41. These gripping rollers may tbe toothed or knurled to grip the pamphlet or' sheet firmly, and any suitable conveying device, as for example. a belt conveyer 60, may be employed for disposing of the separate sheets or pamphlets as they are fed from the -bottom of the stack.

In operation the magazine is filled with 'a number of the sheets or pamphlets to be fed, the adjustable bar 13 and the feeding pins 19 being previously positioned, and the mechanism vis then automaticallyy operated by the rotation of the driving gear 41. The movement of the driving gear 41 causes the plate 1l 't'o feed the lowermost sheet, also causes the member 31 to be withdrawn from the lowermost sheet and to release the .vacuum when the passage 32 registers with the groove 30, and the finger 25 to be posi- Y tioned to support the corner of the stack of articles to be'fed between the lowermost ai ticle and 'the ones above., it. The movement also causes the piston to be movedforwa-rdlyin the cylinder.

movement ofthe driving gear 41 brings the l Icause the pin to score or face of the lowermost sheet. j

It is obvious that various changes may.v

The continued reduced portion of the cam surface to bear against 'the anti-friction roller 55 .which causes the valve member 31 to be moved into engagement with -Ythe lowermost sheet? and' the finger l25 to be withdrawn at the. .saine ,vr

time. During this movement the feeding vplate 11 will be drawnback and the'piston;v 50 will bemoved .rearwardly in the cylinder.V

With 'the valve mmber infthis position, it registers A,with the opening 2 9`in' the shaft 26 and fth'e movement of the/'piston in the cylinderwill cause the partialvacuum 'to draw the. lowermost sheet in contact with the vacuum cup v-35, whereupon the feeding movement of the plate previously described will be repea't'ed. The head of .the feeding pin 19 is preferably rounded, as shown more clearly by Fig.'4, so that the backward movement of the .feeding plate will not tear' the bottom be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts with out departing from'the spirit and scope of the invention. Y

What I vclaim is: 1. In a feeding device ofthe class described, thecombination of a curved reciprocable plate having an opening therein and a projection inclined from the edge of the opening to the face of the plate, and a feeding pin adjustable in the opening and spaced therein 'from the projection.

2. In a feeding deviceof the class de scribed, 'the combination with means forming a' magazine for'the articles to be fed, of a curved reciprocable plate at the bottom thereof for supporting the articles, and upon which the articles lie compactly at the center of curvature, an adjustable bar at the center of curvature to limit the number of articles fed by the pla'te at each`movement thereof, a block fixed below the bar with the upper surface above the plate to .com press the articles fed in front of the plate,

-an'd adjustable feeding pins adapted to enphlets and the like, the combination with aw curved reciprocable plate for supporting and feedingvthe members from the bottom of a stack thereof, of means in connection with the plate at one end to predetermine the number of memberstobe fed by the plate upon its reciprocation, a. movable arm pivotally mountedat the other end of the plate, and a fingen-supported by the arm movable withitfinfposition to separate the members to belfeduponthe reciprocat'ion of the plate. y d'5. In a feeding device for sheets, pamlplilets and the likeVthe combination with' fmeansforming a magazine `for members to be fed, of a longitudinally reciprocable plate at the bottom of the magazine, means in connection therewith to engage al predetermined number of members to be fed by the. reciprocation of the plate, a suction device at the feeding end of the magazine movable engage the lowermost member to be fedand movable from the article to be fed, and a finger -movable into Vposition between the article to be fed-and the superposed articles:

6. In a feeding device for sheets, pamphlets and the like, the combination with a llongitudinally reciprocable s`upporting andfeeding plate, of a suction cup movable into and out of position below the plate to engage one corner of the lowermost sheet and to withdraw it from the other sheets, a fiuid pressure device in connection with said suction cup, and driving mechanism comprising means to reciprocate the plate and to operate the fluid pressure device and the suction cup simultaneously.

7. In a feeding device for sheets, pamphlets and the like, a fixed tubular member having an opening therethrough and a peripheral groove in transverse alinement therewith, a valve member having a passage therein freely mounted upon the fixed tubular member, the passage being adapted to register with the passage and groove of the tubular member, a. flexible suction cup secured to the valve member and having communication with the valve passage, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston, means forming the communication between the cylinder and the fixed tubular member, and

driving means to actuate the piston in the c vlinder and to move the valve member in accordance with the movement of the piston in the cylinder.

8. In a feeding device for sheets, pamphlets and the like, the combination with means forming a magazine for member to be fed, of a curved reciprocable plate at the bofttom thereof havingl one corner cut away, adjustable feeding pins in connection with the plate, a suction cup, a- `movablegvalve member for supporting the cup adjacent the cut-away corner of the reciprocable plate, a. fluid pressure exhausting device, means connecting the device with the suction cup, a linger movable into and out of position between the lowermost member to be fed and the remaining members at the corner thereof when the lowermost member is bent down by the suction device, a driving shaft, a driving gear mounted thereon having a crank, means connecting the crank with the' fluid pressure device and with the reciprocable plate, a cam mounted upon said shaft, means in connection with said cam for moving said finger and the valve member simultaneously, and gripping rollers in driving-.

connection with the driving gear to engage and discharge the members after they are fed bv the reciprocable plate.

9. In a'feeding device of the class described, the combination with a reciprocable plate for supporting and feedinga stack of a bar adjustable in position above the block,

the forward edge of articles tobe fed being supported by the block and the bar being adjusted to permit a predetermined number of articles to be fed between it and the block when the plate is reciprocated.

l10. In a feeding device of the class described, the combination with a reciprocable plate forl supporting articles to be fed, having. an opening at the forward end thereof, a iiXed block with its upper face disposed above the face of the saidplate, the edges of the upper face beingbeveled, the plate being movable in its forward direction of movement to receive the block in the opening, and a bar disposed above the block at the forward limit of travel of the plate to limit the `number of articlesto be fed from the bottom of the stack when the plate is reciprocated. 4

1l. In a feeding device of the class described, the combination ofa curved'recipward limit of travel of the plate adapted to be received in the opening of the plate at its forward limit of travel, the upper face of the block being beveled about the edges and disposed above the upper face of the curved plate at the lowermost portion thereof, the articles to be fed being also supported at the forward edge upon the said block, means in connection with the plate for feeding a predetermined number of articles when the plate is reciprocated, and an -adjustable bar disposed over the block and forming therewith a` guide for permitting a predetermined number of articles to be fed therethrough when the curved plate is reciprocated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the' presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 6th day 

